Method of electrically treating materials.



No. .$45,284. Patented Mar, I3, |900. E. G. AcHEsoN. METHOD 0FELECTBICLLY THEATING MATERIALS.-

(Application led May 23, 1899.)

(No Model.)

No. 645,284. Patented Mar. I3, |900.

E. G. ACHESUN.

METHOD 0F ELECTRIGALLY TREATING MATERIALS.

(Application filed May 23, 1899.) (No Mudei.) v2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

EDVARD GOODRIOH AOIIESON, OF BUFFALO, NEV YORK;

METHOD OF ELEGTRICALLY TREATING MATERIALS.

SPECIFICATION forming peut of Letters Patent No. 645,284, dated Merch13, 1900. Application filed May 23, 1899. Serial No. '717,934- (Nospecimens.)

To all whom) t may concern.'

Be it known that L EDWARD GooDRIcH AGHESON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inthe Methods ofElectrically Treating Materials, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a method of electrically treating materials; andit has for its object to provide an improved method Whereby variousmaterials may be variously treated electrically for various purposes;and to these ends my invention consists in the mode of operation,substantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth. t

While, as above indicated, my invention is adapted for many and variouspurposes, as in general in heating, roasting, treatin g, purifying, orconverting material, and especially treating materials requiring a hightemperature, such as is produced by the use of electric currents, or thetreatment of materials which require to be protect-ed from theatmosphere or treated in a closed chamberas, for instance, for thecollection of the byproducts or distillatesnit is especially adapted foruse in the pu rication of carbon and the converting of amorphous carboninto graphite, and Without intending in any Way to limit the scope andapplication of my invention I have chosen to describe and illustrate itas adapted for this latter purpose,it being understood that the detailsboth of the apparatus and process can be varied by those skilled in theart to adapt the general principles thereof to the particular purpose towhich it is applied Without departing from thespirit of my invention.

In order to illustrate the apparatus used in this particularapplication, as well as to show one means of carrying out my improvedmethod, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in Whichj Figurel is a vertical longitudinal section of a furnace embodying theinvention on the line l l, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a verticaltransverse'section on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalside view of the furnace. Fig. 4 is an end view thereof.

One of the principal objects of my present invention is to provide a newmethod of treating materials and subjecting them to the heat obtainableby the use of an electric current in a continuous process and in such away that the largest proportion of the heat thus developed can beutilized for the purposes intended and the least proportion Will belost,- and at the same time the apparatus by which this is accomplishedwill not be subjected to the destructive influences usually met WithWhere high temperatures are used.

Broadly stated,` my improved method consists in providing a descendingcolumn of material to be treated, allowing it to assume a mass orpile,'the talus or sides of Which have the slope which such a mass willnaturally assume under the influence of gravity. I then treat thismaterial in such a pile by producing the zone of highest temperature inthe pile or mass at a point between the top and bottom or base of saidpile. The treated material is withdrawn from the base of the pile andthe pile is maintained in its normal condition by fresh quantities ofthe material being deposited at its apex, and in this Way theoperation-can be continuous. By employing this method thus broadlystated I am enabled to practically carry out the process by apparatus ofsuitable construction and'arrangement and avoid the great destructiveinfluences on said apparatus from the fact that the materials in contactwith the supporting-Walls of the apparatus are not in their hottestcondition, and the treated material does not come in contact with saidWalls until it has passed the zone of highest temperature. Of course itis understood that the means for conveying the electric current Withinthis mass or pile-as, for instance, the electrodes-have to be arrangedWithin the zone of highest temperature; but

they are of such a nature as to be practically indestructible attemperatures such as are used; but the remaining portions of theapparatus need not be of such material, but can IOO ' has passed beyondthe zone of highest tenithat their working faces are within the slope ofthe pile, and all the material will pass between the working faces ofthe electrodes and be subjected to the-action of the electric current.

The apparatus by which this improved method is carried out embodies,broadlyspeaking, a furnace provided with an inlet and outlet for thematerial to be treated and in which are arranged the electrodes forconducting the current to the mass or pile, and the shape andconguration of the furnace are such that while it forms a support forthe pile the talus of the pile is such that the material of the piledoes not come in contact with the furnacewalls until it has passedbeyond the zone of the highest temperature. In order to make the processcontinuous, of course there is a source of supply of material adapted todeliver the material upon the top of the pile, allowing kit to assumesuch a talus or form or shape that the sides will correspond to what maybe termed the natural gravity slope, and the lowest portions of thesesides or slopes, which come in contact with the walls of the furnace,will be below the zone of the highest temperature. There is alsoprovided means for removing the treated material adapted to take thematerial from the base of the pilein its relatively-cool condition, andof course while the material is thus removed. from the base the materialsupplied to the top will gradually and continuously pass by theelectrodes through the zone of highest temperature and out of theapparatus, where it may be delivered for further treatment or other-Wise. Means may also be provided for artificially cooling or hasteningthe cooling of the treated material. Y

In the preferred embodiment of the in vention I provide a furnace inwhich there are means for continuous feeding at the top of the furnace,the shape and configuration being such that the material naturally fallsinto a pile or mass, the sides of which have the natu ral gravity slopeand do not impinge upon the walls except at and below the base of theslope. The electrodes are arrangedin the mass between the top and thebase of the talus, so that the zone of highest temperature is betweenthese portions of the pile. The discharging apparatus is arranged alsowithin the furnace, at the bottom thereof, so that it embodies withinthe furnace-chamber supporting the mass means for heating the massbetween its top and base and means for discharging the treated materialfrom the base, and thereby allowing the untreated material l to Howfreelyinto the furnace. Furthermore, the shape and configuration of thefurnace is such that the material does not come in contact with thewalls of the furnace from the time it is delivered the top thereof untilit peratu're below the electrodes, thereby leaving a free space betweenthe inclined or slopi ing sides of the mass and the walls of thefurnace.

With these general statements I will now proceed to describe the furnaceillustrated in the drawings.

The shape of the furnace may be varied, but it is arranged to provide aninterior chamber in which the material being treated is practicallyprotected from the atmosphere, and in the present instance the width ofthe chamber is greater than its length inA order that the electrodes maybe arranged in proper relation to each other and the descending columnand at the same time avoid too great a length of the electrodes, and itis widerin order to provide that the base of the talus or sloping sidesof the descending mass or pile shall strike the walls of the furnace ata distance below the bottom part of the electrodes. rThus the furnacecomprises a base portion A,with the sides B B', which in the presentinstance are shown curved inward toward the top C, although thisconfiguration is not necessary. The furnace is closed by the end walls DD', and all these walls are made of suitable material, such asfire-brick or other refractory material. The chamber E is provided witha lining F, which must be of a highly-refractory material, and I havefound a lining of carbid of silicon effective. The bottom portion ofthis lining is preferably inclined from the sides to the central portionof the base, and this inclination is preferably that which correspondsto the inclination of the natural slope taken by the material beingtreated.

Arranged at' the top of the furnace are suitable means for introducingthe material to be treated, shown in the present instance in the form ofa hopper G, having' a discharge-opening G through a block g of highlyrefractory material, and this hopper is supplied with material from asuitable source, as a tank G2, through a chute G3, the end of whichdelivers directly into the hopper, and the iiow of the material theretois controlled by the material in the hopper.

Arranged in the crown of the furnace are suitable vents c, which may beclosed, as by a plug c', or which may be provided with suitable tubes orpassages connected with suitable condensing-chambers or other apparatusto which the gaseous or sublimed material from the furnace may bedelivered for suitable treatment. If, however, the gases are not to beso treated or saved, the vents may be closed, and whatever gases areproduced will pass up through the passage G into the material inthehopper G and primarily heat it, or the vents may be opened and thegases deflected against the outer portions of the hopper G for the samepurpose. The side walls of the furnace may be provided with suitablehand-holes H, closed by plugs H in the usual way, and I also preferablyprovide a manhole H2 near the base, by

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means of which access maybe obtained to the chamber foi-'inspection orrepairs.`

The electrodes II are arranged so as to project into the upper portionof th-e chamberE and are mounted in the end walls D D', and of coursesuitable means are provided whereby these electrodes can be connected tothe source of electric supply. These electrodes may be variously formed;but I have found it preferable to make them in sectionsthat is, composedof a number of longitudinal rectangular bars arranged in close contactand of sufficient length that their inner ends project a desireddistance into the furnace-chamber from the opposite ends thereof. Thecrosssection of these electrodes is proportioned to the amperage of thecurrent to be used in the operation of the furnace, and in dimensionsthe width is such that none of the material to be treated can passthrough the furnace without passing between their opposing faces.Furthermore, as above intimated, these electrodes are arranged so thatthe plane of the bases of the electrodes is above the line of contact ofthe material with the walls ofthe chamber of the furnace.

Arranged at the bottom of the furnacechamber is some suitable device fordischarging the material, and I have shown a worm or screw J extendingthrough the base A into at least the central portion of the chamber,where the lining is shaped to provide a suitable discharge-opening E. Itis obvious,how ever, that other well-known conveying devices may besubstituted for that shown. It is also obvious that suitable means maybe provided for driving the worm or screw, as the shaft J', adapted toreceive power from a suitable source. (Not shown.) As beforeintimated,the discharge of the material from the base of the chamber can beregulated by regulatin g the movements of lthe discharge device orscrew, and by this means the feeding or supplying of the material to thechamber is also regulated, for as the material is withdrawnA from thebase of the pile or cone-shaped mass of material the material passesdownward between the opposing faces of the electrodes, allowing freshquantities to be delivered from the hopper G through the passage G', sothat the pile is maintained in practically-uniform condition, it beingunderstood that the apex of the cone is constantly acting as aregulating valve or stopper for the passage G, and in this way aregulated flow of the material from the tank to the dischargeoutlet canbe maintained and the material be exposed to the action of the zone ofhighest temperature the desired or necessary time.

In some instances I have found it advantageous to provide means forarticially cooling the treated material, and I have shown a `series ofpipes K passing through the walls of the furnace and through the lowerportions of the chamber, and these pipes are connected to a suitablesource of water-supply or other refrigerating material. So, too,it is-at the bottom of the chamber a continuous feed of material is attainedand the talus of the pile maintained throughout the operation.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of apparatus for carryingout my improved method, it will readily be seen that it is capable ofembodiment in other apparatus differing in details from that shown.

While my inyention is adapted for treatv ment of many and varioussubstances in some of which the gases or sublimed portions are the.valuable products and the main body which is delivered at the loweroutlet the refuse, in others the gases or sublimed portions are waste orby products and the main body of treated material the main product.Thus, for instance, one special application of the invention is in theproduction of graphite from carbonaceous vmaterial--such, for instance,of coke-and in which process it is necessary to use, in order to producethe requisite degree of temperature, electric currents of enormousquantity. For instance, in a furnace of the character described inproducing graphite, in order to obtain an output of five hundred poundsan hour, the opposing faces of the electrodes would be placedapproximately twenty inches apart, andr they would have a cross-sectionof twelve hundred and fifty square inches and a current measuring abouttwelve volts and thirtyseven thousand five hundred amperes. Currents ofsuch volume require electrodes having a very large effective surface,and the heat produced is so intense as to necessitate the removing ofthe walls of the furnace from the inIiuence ofthe Zone of hightemperature.

Under the present practice it not being per- IOO mitted to claim theprocess and apparatus in t a single application, I do not herein makeany claim to the apparatus shown and described.

What I claim isl. The method substantially as hereinbefore described oftreating materials for the purpose set forth, which consists incontinuously supplying the material to be treated to the apex of a pilehaving sides of the natural gravity slope, and heating the same bypassing all portions of the material between electrodes the workingfaces of which are within the slope ofthe pile. t

2. 'The method substantially as hereinbefore described of treatingmaterials for the purpose set forth, which consists in continuouslysupplying the material to be treated to In testimony whereof I havesigned my the apeX of a pile having sides of the natural name to thisspecification in the presence of gravity slope, heating the same bypassing all l two subscribing Witnesses.

portions of the material between electrodes EDWARD GOODRICII ACIIESON.the Working faces of which are Within the slope of the pile, anddelivering the treated material from the base of the pile.

Witnesses:

F. L. FREEMAN, 'I W. C. DUVALL.

